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By Colin Hodges

Wellington trainer Jim McMillan and his apprentice jockey Dylan Stanley have unearthed an exciting prospect in bargain basement buy Bamboula.

After finishing last or near last in five Randwick barrier trials, Bamboula without having a race start was purchased for $800 by Jim McMillan through the Inglis On Line Sale in May 2024 and has now earned over $52,000 prizemoney.

During the five starts for McMillan, Bamboula has recorded three wins, a close fourth in a big field and an unplaced effort when resuming from a spell.

Bamboula with Dylan Stanley aboard. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

According to Dylan Stanley who has been in the saddle for every start, the now five-year-old Bamboula is “ still learning to race and improving with every run”.

A big gelding, Bamboula has revealed abundant ability when overcoming outside barriers and a tendency to race greenly, including in the last start win on Friday at Orange in the 1400m Diggermate Class 2 Handicap.

From a wide gate Bamboula was eased to near the tail of the field and racing in restricted room was eased off heels after turning for home.

The Matthew Smith, Warwick Farm-trained favourite Dark Vador (Mathew Cahill, $2.80 to $2.40) had won by over three lengths at the previous Orange meeting and looked likely to win again when dashing to the lead in the straight but was rapidly overhauled by Bamboula (Dylan Stanley, $5 to $7.50) and beaten a long neck with Grins (Coriah Keatings, $8.50) two lengths away third.

Another Central Districts galloper displaying bounteous ability is the Mack Griffith, Mudgee-trained Nomorenightshift, the 3yo gelding winning four of his first five starts including the 1280m Audi Centre Benchmark 66 Handicap at Orange.

Very wide early, Nomorenightshift (Mitch Stapleford, $3.40 to $4.60) then raced outside the leader Geostorm before hitting the front and holding on to beat Imasuperstar (James Innes Jnr, $14) and Rubi Air (Clayton Gallagher, $11).

The Gayna Williams, Bathurst-trained Zarizatycoon (Mikayla Weir, $3.10 to $2.70 favourite), an older half brother to Nomorenightshift, raced three-wide most of the way and despite racing greenly in the straight finished less than a length from the winner, in fourth place.

Highly impressive winner at the first two starts at Narromine and Mudgee, Zarizatycoon at this stage has similar ability to Nomorenightshift and the half brothers along with Bamboula are predicted to win plenty more races.

Sharing ownership with her son, picnic jockey Sebastian Galea, Dubbo trainer Janelle Galea won the 1000m Angullong Wines Country Boosted Maiden Handicap with the $21 chance Eastern Odyssey ridden by apprentice Jessica Brookes.

Taking a slender lead from Pattera at the top of the straight, Eastern Odysses fought on gamely to win by nearly a length from Crown Legend (Kody Nestor, $2.20 to $2.05 favourite) and Media Coverage (Louise Day, $26).

Kody Nestor had better fortune aboard the Clint Lundholm-trained Brutal Love ($2.30 fav) which tracked the leader Satashi then staved off a late challenge to beat Light Infantry (Clayton Gallagher, $4.80) by a short head in the 1280m Greater’s Water Trucks Class 1 Handicap.

Making it three wins on the day for Dubbo trainers, the Paul Clisby-trained Midnight Dream (Clayton Gallagher, $10) led from before the home turn and was a two-length winner over the highly consistent, Alison Smith locally-trained mare Brief Statement (Jordan Quince, $5) which chased gamely all the way to the line in the 1000m Orange Motor Group Benchmark 58 Handicap.

Orange will next race on Saturday 15th February and will then host the Central Districts Country Championships Qualifier on Friday 28th February.

Meanwhile, after the Dubbo meeting on Tuesday, the $36,000 Cowra Cup (1700m) is on Sunday 19th January.